Man City vs F.C. Copenhagen Stats
Erling Haaland doubled his goal tally for the season as City brushed aside Copenhagen to make it three wins from three in Champions League Group G. Find below the full match stats from the game.
Foden fizzes a pass to Grealish down the left, but the Englishman can’t get his effort on target.
Goals
Erling Haaland has been a revelation since his move from Borussia Dortmund. The striker has 19 goals in his first 12 games for City, and he is now on course to top the Champions League scoring charts this season. It may seem a little early, but the Norwegian is showing why he is the best in the Premier League.
The City is dominating possession and playing expansively. They move the ball quickly up the wings and then play it through to the centre, looking for gaps. It’s sometimes starting to look like a training game, and the visitors need help to keep up.
The hosts are creating a few chances and looking dangerous on the break. Jack Grealish does well to hold the ball up on the left flank and then plays a beautiful reverse pass into Bernardo Silva, but the Portuguese cannot quite find a way through. He tries again and can only fire his effort over the bar.
Another chance for City as Nicolai Boilesen clears the ball into the path of Haaland, but the Norway striker can’t take advantage. He tries to cut inside on his left foot, but the ball is too heavy, and he fails to make contact with it.
It’s just a case of time now for City to take the lead, and they are almost there. A superb pass by Joao Cancelo finds Haaland in space, and he can’t miss from ten yards out. The away fans are going wild for the striker, and he almost grabs his second. The keeper can only parry his thunderbolt, which falls kindly for him, but he can’t convert it.
As the first half ends, City is almost guaranteed to win this one, and they should have scored more than they did. The tempo has dropped from the first period, but they are still dominant.
The home side will happily go into the break with a one-goal lead. They have been too good for Copenhagen to allow them to get into trouble.
Possession
Manchester City have dominated possession in the first half. They have had 792 completed passes to FC Copenhagen’s 211. However, they have yet to be able to produce many shots on goal. This starkly contrasts their performance at the Etihad, where they ran riot and scored five goals. The game against FC Copenhagen is a stricter test, and they will have to work hard if they want to make it through to the knock-out stages of the Champions League.
The game is starting to get stale as City dominate in possession and looks for gaps through the visitor’s defence. It’s a training game for the home side sometimes.
The hosts have an excellent opportunity when Foden and Mahrez link up on the left flank. The Englishman passes it over to his colleague, who cuts back for the striker, but Grabara saves his shot.
Another chance for the hosts is when a fumble by Ederson gives them a free-kick on the edge of the box. Jack Grealish shoots it low, but it is saved well by the keeper.
Visitors have a good opportunity when a corner is cleared but must capitalize on the set piece. They try to play it out of the back, and defender Davit Khocholava tries to throw Rory Delap style into the box, but it is cleared away for a corner.
Riyad Mahrez thought he had put City ahead in 11 minutes when he laid the ball off to Rodri, who took a long-range shot. However, the goal was disallowed for a handball by the Algerians.
Man City talisman Erling Haaland makes life difficult for the home team and looks like a massive threat in front of the goal. He is ruthless in getting into goalscoring positions. He has already scored two goals in this match, and it looks likely that he will add to his total before the game is over. Cole Palmer comes on for Haaland, and his cameo is off to a flyer with a shot from the edge of the box kept out by the keeper.
Shots on target
After defeating FC Copenhagen 5-0 last week, Manchester City looks poised to sweep them aside in the return leg of their Champions League Group G matchup. Pep Guardiola’s team is the clear favourite in this game, and a win will secure them a spot in the round of 16. The Cityzens’ recent form also suggests they will score at least three goals. Erling Haaland’s two goals against Southampton over the weekend brought his total to 20 in just 12 games for the club, and Julian Alvarez and Phil Foden are also capable of scoring.
City started strong in the first half and controlled possession for 69% of the period but had only six shots on target to Copenhagen’s four. They were rewarded with a penalty around the half-hour mark, but goalkeeper Kamil Grabara saved Riyad Mahrez’s kick.
However, the Blues did find their stride in the final half-hour. They scored three times to put the game beyond doubt, with Haaland netting twice. He started the scoring by firing in a low cross from Cancelo. The Danes then struggled to deal with the City attack, and Haaland scored again when his shot deflected off both David Khocholava and Denis Vavro for a goal.
Mahrez scored the fourth and final City goal when he converted a second-half penalty after Aymeric Laporte was fouled. City dominated the ball in the last minutes, and their dominance was further consolidated when a Mahrez pass set up Alvarez for the Blues’ fifth goal.
Despite the poor performance in their last match, Copenhagen are still in contention for a top-two finish in the group. They must win this tie and hope Sevilla loses to Shakhtar Donetsk. Copenhagen’s lacklustre attack makes it difficult to back them for a big upset, especially considering their poor record in this competition against City. The visitors will also be without injured defenders John Stones and Kyle Walker, which should help them avoid a heavy loss.
Goalkeepers
The hosts are looking to build on their recent good form and have a real chance of securing a top-four finish in the Danish Superliga. They are in third place, three points ahead of Copenhagen, struggling in sixth. The visitors will be desperate to avoid a repeat of last season’s early season slump that saw them lose their manager.
On the other hand, City has been firing on all cylinders and is one of the best teams in Europe at the moment. Pep Guardiola’s men are undefeated in their opening four Champions League games and will be confident of progressing to the last 16.
Despite losing top scorer Sergio Gomez to injury, City have looked sharp at both ends of the pitch. They have dominated possession and made life difficult for their hosts.
It was no surprise when they took the lead after just seven minutes through Norway striker Erling Haaland. Phil Foden picked up the ball on the right wing before skipping past two defenders to find Haaland in space inside the box. The former Manchester United man coolly slotted the ball home.
The Blues extended their lead before the break when Riyad Mahrez converted a penalty after Aymeric Laporte was fouled. It was soon 4-0 when Mahrez set up Jack Grealish to tap in from close range.
Both sides could have scored more goals in the second half, but City goalkeeper Ederson kept his side in control. The Brazilian also made superb saves to keep the away side at bay.
A 0-0 draw was a fair result, but City will be frustrated not to have made more of a statement in front of their fans. It was a game blighted by borderline VAR decisions. Rodrigo’s sublime 25-yard rocket was ruled out for offside, but the referee didn’t think it brushed the arm of Riyad Mahrez.
The match was also marred by the red card shown to Gomez for a foul on Hakon Haraldsson. Regardless of whether the referee’s decision was justified, an unnecessary dismissal spoiled the evening for the Blues.
